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Way over my head!!

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Enzo 
#1 ·
Just the other day I counted 11 sunburst platies. I only have a 10g. I can't get another tank. I also have 15 guppies and 3 neon tetras. I can stop it! No one wants them and I cant give them back to the store! I don't know what to do with them anymore! Even my baby sunbursts are pregnant! The only way is if I kill them my self.(yes, I read how to properally enthunize a fish pin) I don't know anyone who will take them in my area to feed them to bigger fish either! Anyone with advice please help me!

Regards, Megan
rcmrabbits.tripod.com
 
#3 ·
untill you can give the fish away, start doing 30% water changes twice a week to keep the ammonia levels low and the fish alive.

next, put a add as was suggested, give them away, or find a fish store that will take them for free.

get rid of the platys, every last one.

next, keep a few of the guppies, preferably the males. if you end up keeping one of the females, buy a dwarf catfish of some kind, South American Bumblebee cats rock if you can find one. they will eat the offspring that the guppies produce. make sure it is a catfish that doesnt grow more than 3" though, and dont take the petstores word for it, check on line to make sure it doesnt grow big. and make sure you dont get a Bumblebee catfish...these are also known as asian bumblebee catfish...they get HUGE!!!

finally, after you get rid of those guppies and plattys, add to your school of tetras, they need to be in a group of 5 or more to be happy. if you only keep a few male guppies and no catfish, you can add 4 or 5 tetras to the 3 you already have. if you keep a male and female guppy and a catfish to eat their offspring, then add only a couple more tetras to what you already have.

keeping live bearers like platys,mollies,and guppies is dangerous in small tanks, because the fry are alive and have a HUGE chance of surviving, unlike most egg laying fish.
 
#4 ·
You certainly don't have to get rid of all the platies! Keep only males or females. Same with the guppies.

I have both platies and mollies in my community tank...I've had a few offspring but no explosion...I suppose they're getting eaten promptly...

I have an acquaintance who got a betta to eat the fry...that also helped keep the numbers in check...
 
#5 ·
Good question!
Try advertising in free newspaper listings, or ask your local fish stores if you can put up a flyer in their store.
Otherwise you have three options:
1 Get your friends to buy aquariums and supply them with fish.
2 Buy more tanks
3 Cull most of the babies from every batch =( sad but nessesary.
 
#6 ·
well, you dont have to kill them yourself, a beta or small catfish would do that for you, and you would hardly have to feed anything but the guppies and your tetras...

I wouldnt keep the platys...they are messy and big for a ten gallon...better off keeping some of the guppies, a school of 5 neon tetras, and a beta to eat the guppy babies and call it good...
 
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